Betting: Can United end Arsenal's title charge on Sunday?

January 31, 2010

Odds of 2.93 (15/8) on a United win away to Arsenal this Sunday? Snap them up now.

That’s a great price on a Reds victory, regardless of the opposition or venue.

Look at it this way: we’ve scored seven goals in our last two fixtures and have already defeated the Gunners this season. And while we’re tearing it up against Hull and City, Arsenal lost 3-1 to Stoke and drew 0-0 to Aston Villa.

But perhaps the main argument for a Reds victory is the fact that we have the in-form player in Europe leading the line for us. With five goals in a week, any team that boasts Wayne Rooney has a good chance of winning.

Arsenal will be without Thomas Vermaelen who has been one of their stars this season. Sol Campbell is likely to come in and it’s a safe bet that the Gunners’ ageing defenders will not relish the prospect of Rooney running at them. All but one of the four league fixtures between these two at the Emirates have produced three goals or more. Back Over 2.5 goals at 2.0 (evens).

United’s finest performance of last season came at the Emirates – in the 3-1 Champions League semi-final win – but our League record there is not good. We lost 2-1 last year and are yet to experience a Premier League victory there. Still, we know what it is to shock the Gunners new home into silence based on that glorious European night, and the players will have that in mind on Sunday. United can score early so we’ll be backing Man Utd/Man Utd in the Half-time/Full-time market at 5.4 (9/2).

Wayne Rooney wants to reach 30 goals for the season and few would bet against him. He’s delivered in the To Score market 13 times in 23 starts so back Wazza to score on Sunday. Have a wager on Dimitar Berbatov, raring to go after sitting out Wednesday’s win, to be the first goal scorer and perhaps Paul Scholes, as he seems to have found his touch of late.
These fixtures might not produce the fireworks they used to but, with both sides in title contention, we expect a feisty game. Back Yes in the Sending Off market.

In Arsenal’s last home fixture, Bolton scored two early goals. Fabregas and co. came back to win 4-2 and Sir Alex will not underestimate Arsenal’s determination. They will fancy their chances of breaching the Reds defence so back 2-1 at 11.0 (10/1) in the Correct Score market.

Sunday’s match is a prime opportunity for the Reds to dismiss Arsenal’s title bid so that they can get on with over-taking Chelsea. Latest title odds have Arsenal at 6.2 (5/1), Chelsea at 1.69 (5/7) and United at 4.7 (7/2). A United win would make those odds very appealing.

Trevor - the team is not a one man team when nani set up 2 of the goals, you are forgetting the defence depleted, yes the team is a striker short but when united put in a performence like they did that word is a joke

aig - Betting on United to lose mate? Fucking hell. I would never do that. You need some more faith mate. Not telling I told you so....................................but!!

Superb. Absolutely superb. Rooney and Nani top drawer again. Could not live with them. Scholes, Carrick and Fletch bossed the middle of the park. Brown and Evans rock solid and Rafa had a decent game marking Arshavin. Will report later fully. A big, big three points. After this week I am confident we can beat anyone. We didn't bully them today, we just beat them at their own game. Our passing and movement were first class. Men v boys. Great finish by Park. Will be smiling all week. We'll Never Die.

Great performance...Fergie has got the number on Wenger it seems to be. This match almost turned out like a replica of last year's CL performance... lot of counter-attacking football.
Wes Brown needs a few matches to get into form. Really loved Evra as Captain. Well done Fergie.

Have to agree, arsenal need time on the ball! So many teams who play with a high tempo make them suffer........ They are also suspect to counter attaking football as they all play out of position from time to time!

Evra for captain is a good choice! A reward for his consistant performances.

I dont want rooney to be given the arm band! All i want him to do is to play his own game and keep performing as he has been doing!

Trevor - well maybe but we dont know that until he is not playing but as a team the team looked deadly today and it was all about nani today.

Tony starks - it is interesting they did put in some stupid bid for benzama, it made me wonder fergie is def looking for a striker and he cant have had much faith in berbatov if he was willing to spend big on benzama.

Still waiting for the emergence of goon fans who camped on this blog in the last few days. They were saying how classless we were to not heap praise on Fabregas simply because he congratulated Fergie when we won the league, but really they are the ones who don't have any class. I mean, the least they can do is congratulate US on our epic win today, no?

ronaldo will no doubt be proud of nani. Ronaldo struggled for long priods apart from his last season to make an impact in big games. Clichy always kept ronaldo quiet, Nani ripped him apart today

@Trevor

Dont agree Ronaldo was not a very good team player.He and Rooney had great understanding. I think he always Wanted to score and hence people thought he was selfish. His hunger benefited the team so we cant really complain

rtnk - hmm, obviuosly there is money to spend etc.. but now it seems this 4-5-1 type formation is kind of working for us, the priorities might change now - maybe more midfield legs, especially if Anderson is out of fashion - but I expect him to make a comeback a la Nani...

Trevor – Alright mate. I have to disagree that we are now more of a one man team with Rooney and without Ronaldo. The players have ALL stepped it up and are playing well for each other. This is the most we have looked a solid team since the treble years. Great passion, determination and team spirit. The rentboys should be worried now. Having watched them of late half the cunts don't look interested. Lampard is out of position, Cole is out of form and favour, Malouda is a waste of fucking space. That result today is huge and the turning point of our season mark my words. We look hungry at the moment and will be desperate for that history creating 4 on the spin.

I can honestly see the Chav's dropping points at Hull this week. United are the only team to win there in the last couple of months. They struggled at home to them earlier in the season and were lucky with a Drogba cross. Can see Arsenal bouncing back and getting a point next week too. Hoping we will hammer Pompey now.

Interesting to see that when the Ginger Prince went off United lost their shape and control of the game. He was outstanding again. As were Fletch and Carrick. Fabregas YET again was shite.

King Eric - sorry I totaly disagree the current team is has solid has the 99 outfit. I think the double winning team a phew years ago was as solid as the 99 side. add the fact we had 8 players back in 99 who all scored in double figures.

- I have always hated a trio of scholes carrick and anderson not enough legs or balance, now when scholes carrick and fletcher have played we look in control decicive and they know eachothers game partly they were our championship winning midfield of 2007.

King Eric - yea I agree on that front our double winning season a couple of years ago I dont think we had any but the summer of 08 chamged that, if you mean everyone on the same page not thinking of leaving yes I totaly agree there. I got mixed up the quality of the squads which I stupidly do a lot.

Just home from the Emirates - United were awesome & Rooney unplayable. He terrorised the Arse defence from the start. Whatever has happened to Nani is a revelation cos he tore Clichy to pieces. Midfield were totally in control - Fletch, Scholes n Carrick excellent again.

Gooners were very quiet apart from when they were complaining about their team. We need to keep playing like this for rest of season - much more like it boys!

Off topic: I'm watching MUTV Big Quiz. Owen presented himself as " Michael Owen,Striker". carrick said " Michael carrick, midfielder" and when it came to Owen Hargreaves to present himself he said "Owen Hargreaves, patient". Awwwwww :( can't wait to have him back. We love you Owen.

I'm at a loss to understand the praise heaped on Michael Carrick - whenever I noticed him, he was usually passing the ball sideways or backwards. He's a confusing player - a lot of talent but not much confidence, even after his big night against ManShitty.

I was very impressed with Fletcherinho again - he played a more offensive role today and was damned unlucky not to get an assist on that drilled-cross at the beginning of the game which Gallas just nicked away from Rooney. Darren is becoming a wonderful all-round contributor. And, I suspect, that there's more to come as he slowly matures into the player that SAF had so much faith in - even while others were slating him as "TheScottishPlayer" or "Fergy'sLoveChild". Now that these short-sighted critics have to move on from slating Nani who is going to be the next whipping boy ? I know that my whip is aimed at Carrick and Berbatov !

@denton davey, how about not aiming your whip at none of our players and support them all, hence giving them more confidence. Look at Nani, who would have thought .I did actually and so did others. That what you do. Support yout team players so they can do better. Its counterproductive to whip them when they are not playing as well as they should.

denton - You really don't like Carrick do you? He was great today. Some of his passing was top drawer. Cannot believe you say he was passing backwards and sideways. Did you not see the little one two and delicate chip over the top for Park. Not to mention many more. He brings a calmness to the team and breaks up play well.

portugueseprincess - I would not call hargreaves a great player, a good player dont forget in his first season many were not totaly happy with his performences. to be honnest I doubt he will ever come back its just knawing at me.

Portgueseprincess................ i'm wiv u all the way
I was a Nani doubter...
Didn't think he knew how to play for the team, thought he was a poor mans Ronaldo, thought he had all the talent in the world but not idea how to use it
But i kept my mouth shout because Siralex thought Nani would come good. Siralex has earned the right to do whatever he thinks is best for Man United and he is usually right!
Ffs he is so loyal to Man United that he will even tell us a pack of lies if it is 4 the best us.

Anyway........... Nani..... Keep playin to the best of your ability for the team, rather than tryin to be a better player than Ronaldo!

If you do I reckon you've got a good chance of bein one of our greats...!

a couple of years ago a friend told me how nani and ronaldo are amazing players. i asked him at that point why doesn't nani play as often? clearly, he has the pace and skill to match. he told me because nani was ferguson's secret weapon and that the manager will continue working with him until he is ready.

that is the one thing i have held on to ever since i first saw nani. i knew he was best on the right. even his best cross from the left wing came from his right foot.

i've always had faith & rated nani highly compared to valencia, because he can use both feet, dribbles and runs the ball with amazing speed (not just in a straight line) and most important of all, his crossing technique.

valencia's crosses are all low, blockable and is just in the general direction of his target, whereas nani aims for high, undefendable crosses with pinpoint precision. of course valencia get's more crosses out because it is easy for him to pump out quantity, and all this while nani has been suffering to perfect his quality crossing.

i guess nani was played out of position to let him master all aspects of his game. played in an unfamiliar situation to see how he would respond and adapt his game.

did you see his parallel run with park for the 3rd goal? he runs at breakneck speed with his body upright, unlike valencia who leans forward running with or without the ball. it's those little things that make you know he's different.

@reDalert yup i agree with you. Nani has more potential than Valencia. But right now Valencia is a little bit better because he is more consistent. He is predictable, but he is overwhelmingly fast and consistent.

but in these last 2 or 3 games, Nani has shown a lot of maturity. I remember reading an article about two weeks ago, Nani said he is going to show us the real Nani, because before that he has a niggling injury..

Now i hope Anderson will take lesson from Nani, and cement his place in the starting line up by beating Scholes, Carrick, Fletcher and Giggs to that because he has the potential. I know it is crazy to ask him to beat Scholes in the pecking order, because Scholes is among the best in the world, but i know Anderson can!

I stand corrected, Carrick DID unleash the ball the freed Park for the third goal so not all of his passes were backwards and/or sideways. However, to my way of seeing, most of his passes were backwards and/or sideways.

Furthermore, I find Carrick - like Berbatov - a very frustrating player; neither guy seems to have confidence in himself; neither guy drives the team forward; both guys play a soft game.

Sorry if I disagree with you with my general observations about Carrick and Berbatov but that's the way I see it.

yeah.. no matter how much my friends and i laugh everytime valencia gets the ball because we know he'll receive it with his right , control with his right, dribble to the right and then cross with his right foot, he has been more consistent, with his speed and excellent touch.

but as we can see nani is the better right winger as his game isn't one dimensional, and we need that extra something special on our wings to shake up the opposition. in the few games i've watched now and then, i can't recall another moment when the opposition put two players to defend against valencia, but almost every game nani plays there are at least two trying to shut him out.

if valencia can play centre then i hope ferguson plays him there, if he needs both of them on the pitch, because he does have good vision and makes good decisions on the ball, plus powerful and consistent shots on goal.

I think that Carrick, like Berbatov, COULD BE so much better. There's no question that they both have the skill but neither consistently shows it - perhaps, it's just a matter of "style" because both of them play languidly which sometimes results in breath-taking moments but sometimes just falls flat. Too much "fannying about" and not enough direct, go-for-the-jugular play from either of them. To me, this is a half-full/half-empty situation. It's my observation that SAF also seems to feel that way about Berbatov because Dimmy rarely starts a big game; Carrick gets more big-game starts because there's actually less competition for his job, especially when the team is deployed in a non-4-4-2 formation.

I figure that when/if Anderson gets his act together that Carrick's playing time will get reduced - although Scholes' continuing "decline" will compensate somewhat to keeping Carrick on the field and so will SAF's preference for playing 4-5-1/4-3-3 in big games. If the reports of Paul Pogba's amazing ability are true then he will represent another challenge to Carrick's playing time.

In a sense, Michael Carrick (just like Owen Hargreaves) was signed as a "stop-gap" since the youth system hadn't produced a quality young midfielder in the early 2000s, with the exception of Darren Fletcherinho. But the signing of Anderson and Pogba (and the anticipated maturation of Tom Cleverley and Darron Gibson) are going to combine to render Carrick's contribution less and less.

However, that's a way in the future; in the meanwhile, I am expecting that Carrick will still play - and still frustrate guys like me who favour a more gung-ho style of play from midfielders. I'm not saying that I'm right - I'm just giving my opinion.